History of the Sangrita
July 12, 2019
While one typically thinks of salt and lime when imagining what should accompany Tequila, there is another authentic Mexican companion to the 100% de agave spirit. Sangrita (“little blood” in Spanish) is a citrus-heavy mixture of orange, lime, and pomegranate juice, powdered chiles, and other spices, and was born in Jalisco, Mexico, the same state Tequila calls home.
Sangrita is believed to the result of a mixture of leftover juices from pico de gallo, a fruit salad popular in Guadalajara. When the salad was consumed, the leftover juices were poured into small clay cups and imbibed alongside the post-meal Tequila, a well-noted digestif. As Sangrita has made its way north in the United States, the recipe has adopted a more savory flavor profile. Americans have added tomato juice to meet the level of citrus juices.
Sangrita isn’t meant to muffle the strong citrus and herby flavors of Tequila. It is meant to sip alongside the spirit, so its savory and citrusy flavors can amplify Tequila’s terroir. When drinking our award-winning, organic 100% de agave Tequila, we can’t recommend Sangrita enough. If you’re looking to cover up sting of low-quality Tequila, stick to salt and lime.
Mexican recipe:
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fresh grapefruit juice
- 2 ounces fresh orange juice
- 4 ounces fresh lime juice
- 5–10 dashes hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- Ground black pepper
- Salt
Directions
Combine all ingredients and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste.
American recipe:
Ingredients
- ¼ medium white onion
- ½ dried ancho chili
- 1 jalapeño, halved
- 4 ounces tomato juice (Sacramento)
- 4 ounces fresh orange juice
- 3 ounces fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Maggi seasoning
- ½ stalk of celery
- ¼ medium cucumber
- Salt
Directions
On a grill or in a cast iron pan, roast onion, ancho chili and half the jalapeño for 4–5 minutes, until onions begin to char. Remove from heat and place in a blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, and salt to taste. Let sit for 10 minutes. Strain finely before serving.
Recipes from: Dylan Garret, Senior Digital Editor of WineEnthusiast (https://www.winemag.com/gallery/a-tale-of-two-sangritas/#gallery-carousel-1)
